3DCS Variation Analyst for SOLIDWORKS

The World's Most Used Variation Analysis Software

3DCS Variation Analyst for SOLIDWORKS Software is used by manufacturers across the globe for Tolerance Analysis to reduce scrap, rework and warranty claims.

3DCS Variation Analyst is used by the world's leading manufacturing OEM's to reduce their costs of quality. By controlling variation and optimizing designs to account for inherent process and part variation, engineers reduce non-conformmance, scrap, rework and warranty costs.

3DCS for SOLIDWORKS simulates part and process variation with Monte Carlo Simulation to give statistical outputs showing the estimated percent of products that will be out-of-spec, the primary contributing tolerances and parts to variation issues and specified statistical measures such cpk and ppk.

Model Part and Process Variation - How does it work?

3DCS for SOLIDWORKS uses three methods of simulation; Monte Carlo Simulation, High-Low-Mean (Sensitivity analysis) and GeoFactor Analysis. These together highlight the sources of variation as well as potential build issues in the product.

By accurately modeling the build process, users can determine how their process will affect the assembly in addition to their part tolerance stack-up. This together essentially creates a virtual prototype that can be used to make decisions about design changes and tooling while reducing scrap and rework.

Gain New Insight Into Your Design

Simulating products in a digital environment gives engineers the ability to account for variation in key areas, reducing rework, non-conformance and scrap at final assembly early in the design phase when changes are least expensive.

In addition to this, specifications deemed less critical can be relaxed, increasing tolerances and allowing the user of less expensive manufacturing processes. Creating 3-dimensional tolerance stack-ups let engineers know where to focus in their design, and the ability to create what-if studies allow them to determine solutions that include both process and tolerances to keep costs down and quality up.

The 3DCS technology brought our commitment to product quality and safety by design to an even higher level. The tool not only can quantify our technical decisions but truly helps our IPD teams to numerically and visually discuss spatial dimensional variations and its management early in the design phase.

3DCS for SOLIDWORKS Articles

Product Features and Value

What does 3DCS for SOLIDWORKS offer your company?

Utilize Embedded GD&T

Validate and Optimize GD&T

3DCS for SOLIDWORKS can use embedded GD&T from your CAD to instantly tolerance your parts. Simulate the build to validate your tolerances, then make adjustments to optimize for cost, quality and control. Push your tolerances back to CAD and update your models.

Value:

Build analysis models faster (embedded GD&T is not required for a model)

Validate and optimize your GD&T in a test lab, then push back when ready

Determine Design Objectives with Visualization

Communicate effectively between Engineering and Design

Create life-like images of your product showing worst case scenarios to determine the visual impact of variation stack-ups. Use these studies to determine maximum and minimum tolerances during design and communicate with engineering. Once engineers have determined the manufacturing tolerances, recreate the studies to see how your actual product will look with worst case tolerance stack-ups. These studies together help you control the Perceived Quality of your product as well as your build quality.

Value:

Determine the impact of variation on the appearance of your product

See what worst case scenarios will look like on final product

Improve both build and perceived quality of products

Determine Contributors and Make Changes

Find the sources of your variation and simulate your changes to determine impact

Find the source of variation, honing in on either particular part tolerances, or processes. Many times the source of variation is in the assembly process and the solution does not require the changing of tolerances. This can give engineers the ability to improve quality without having to make costly tolerance adjustments. In addition, tolerance and process changes can be made in the model and simulated to find optimal conditions to get the greatest increase in quality at the lowest cost.

Value:

Find primary source of variation issues from either tolerances or assembly process

Make changes and determine the affect of variation

Use iterative changes to create the optimal design for maximum quality and minimum cost

Create Reports and Measurement Plans to Collaborate

Create Management and Engineering Reports as well as Measurement Plans Automatically to communicate results across your organization

Use reports and measurement plans to communicate results across the organization. Detailed engineering reports communicate with other design teams the inputs and outputs of the model so that the results can be repeated and understood. Management Reports communicate the key outputs to managers to support key decision making. Measurement Plans communicate important areas and particular points to be measured at the plant or CMM room to control variation and watch for out-of-spec and non-conformance conditions.

Value:

Quickly communicate detailed inputs and outputs with customers and other teams

Share key outputs with managers to support important decision making

Create Measurement Plans tied to CAD for the manufacturing plant to use in order to control and monitor variation effectively in production, answering the question, 'Where should we measure?'

Key Product Highlights

3DCS for SOLIDWORKS is an advanced analysis tool giving you the information to make decisions on quality